Come celebrate the first Fred Korematsu Day on January 30, 2011, at UC Berkeley’s Wheeler Auditorium. The program includes keynote speaker Reverend Jesse Jackson and spoken word artist Beau Sia, as well as tributes from Karen Korematsu and California Assembly Members Warren Furutani and Marty Block. There will also be a screening of the film, Of Civil Wrongs and Rights: The Fred Korematsu Story.

Fred T. Korematsu was a national civil rights hero. In 1942, at the age of 23, he refused to go to the government’s incarceration camps for Japanese Americans. After he was arrested and convicted of defying the government’s order, he appealed his case all the way to the Supreme Court. In 1944, the Supreme Court ruled against him, arguing that the incarceration was justified due to military necessity.

In 1983, Dr. Peter Irons, a legal historian, discovered key documents that government intelligence agencies had hidden from the Supreme Court in 1944. The documents consistently showed that Japanese Americans had committed no acts of treason to justify mass incarceration. With this new evidence, a legal team of mostly Japanese American attorneys re-opened Korematsu’s 40 year-old case on the basis of government misconduct. On November 10, 1983, Korematsu’s conviction was overturned in a federal court in San Francisco. It was a pivotal moment in civil rights history.

Korematsu remained an activist throughout his life. In 1998, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, from President Bill Clinton. Korematsu’s growing legacy continues to inspire activists of all backgrounds and demonstrates the importance of speaking up to fight injustice.”

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Wheeler auditorium is a 15-minute walk from the Downtown Berkeley Bart station. Click here for walking directions.

PARKING
Cal Performances does not offer parking validation for this event, but street parking is free in Berkeley on Sundays. For a list of parking lots near the UC Berkeley campus, click here. For more information about parking on campus, please click here.

SPECIAL NEEDS
Wheeler Auditorium is accessible to people with disabilities. The closest drop off point near Wheeler is the alongside South Hall (see campus map). From there, it’s a short walk up the ramp and into Wheeler.

Tickets on sale now! Tickets available for purchase online, by phone, by mail and fax, and in personfrom Cal Performances. Tickets can be mailed to buyers or held at Will Call and picked up at Wheeler auditorium (not Zellerbach Hall) on January 30. Please buy your tickets before January 30. Though last-minute tickets will be available on the day of the event, purchases can only be made in cash.

Seating: VIP ticket holders will be able to sit in a VIP section of the auditorium. All other ticket holders are eligible for general seating, so please arrive early to find the best available seats!

Cal Performancestickets.berkeley.eduPhone: (510) 642-9988
Fax: (510) 643-2359
The Cal Performances Ticket Office is located at the northeast corner of Zellerbach Hall on the UC Berkeley campus.

A keynote speech by the Reverend Jesse Jackson. The founder and president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Rev. Jackson is one of America’s foremost civil rights, religious and political figures. Over the past forty years, he has played a pivotal role in virtually every movement for empowerment, peace, civil rights, gender equality, and economic and social justice. In 2000, President Bill Clinton awarded Reverend Jackson the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. Rev. Jackson has been called the “Conscience of the Nation” and “the Great Unifier,” challenging America to be inclusive and to establish just and humane priorities for the benefit of all. He is known for bringing people together on common ground across lines of race, culture, class, gender and belief. In 1999, Fred Korematsu was honored at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition’s annual awards dinner.

Karen Korematsu

Karen Korematsu, daughter of Fred Korematsu and co-founder of the Fred T. Korematsu Institute for Civil Rights and Education. Karen shares her father’s passion for social justice and continues to advance his legacy by helping the Institute with its development and outreach efforts and speaking at events around the country.

Beau Sia

A performance by spoken word artist Beau Sia. Oklahoma-born Sia was one of the original cast members in Russell Simmon’s Def Poetry Jam, which won a Tony Award in 2003. He has also appeared in It’s Showtime at the Apollo, HBO’s Def Poetry Jam, and the film Slam. He has published a book of poetry, A Night Without Armor II: The Revenge, and released two spoken word CDs, Attack! Attack! Go!and Dope and Wack.

Rep. Keith Ellison

A video message from Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison. Rep. Ellison is the first Muslim ever elected to U.S. Congress. He has represented the Fifth Congressional District of Minnesota in the U.S. House of Representatives since taking office on January 4, 2007.

Keith’s philosophy is one of “generosity and inclusiveness.” His roots as a community activist and his message of inclusivity through democratic participation resonates throughout the Fifth District. His priorities in Congress are: promoting peace, prosperity for working families, environmental sustainability, and civil and human rights.

Asm. Warren Furutani

California Assemblymember Warren Furutani, co-sponsor of the Fred Korematsu Day bill. Asm. Furutani was re-elected to the 55th District in 2010 for his second two-year term. Warren has over 40 years of experience and involvement in education and public service. He is also the chair of the Asian Pacific Islander American Legislative Caucus, which has ten members. In 2008, he authored Assembly Bill 37, which granted honorary college degrees to Japanese Americans whose education was disrupted due to their wrongful incarceration during World War II.

Asm. Marty Block

California Assemblymember Marty Block, co-sponsor of the Fred Korematsu Day bill. Asm. Block was elected in November 2008 to represent the 78th District, one of the most diverse districts in the county of San Diego. He is a former dean and retired professor at San Diego State University (SDSU). His passion on education issues, both at the K-12 levels and collegiate levels shows a strong regard for those who have little or no voice in the political process.

Sydnie Kohara

Emcee Sydnie Kohara is an award-winning journalist and co-anchor of the CBS 5 Eyewitness News Early Edition. She has served as an international correspondent and anchor for CNBC in London and Singapore. Kohara is no stranger to public service and community outreach. She was a political appointee under California Governor George Deukmejian, serving as Chief of Communications for the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs. Kohara also helped found Camp CEO, a Girl Scout-sponsored retreat for at-risk teenage girls.